Reply to John Deacon, Treatise 3
A REPLIE TO THE THIRD DIALOGVE.
YOur Vſes are ſutable to your doctrine. For what other thing can proceede from a Cockatrices egge, then a ſerpent? Yet Lycanthropus admires and applaudes them: and ſo perhaps may ſome 1. Ioh. 2. 27doe, that be not well in their wits. But they which hauehave receiued the annointing, that teacheth vsus concerning all things, will abhorre your prodigious dotage, and the more when they conſider your vſes, which manifeſt plainly that your errours be not about ſtrawes and ruſhes, ſuch as without danger might be contemned and neglected, but which draw after them moſt perillous conſequences, mightily ſhaking the verie foundation, and chiefeſt pillers of our faith. You pretend that this your doctrine of finall determination of poſſeſsions & dispoſſeſſions of Spirits and Diuels, affordeth firſt, an holy meditation concerning the vndoubted faithfulneſſe and truth of our eternall God, in that he promiſing four thouſand years fully before, to ſend the ſeed of a woman, which ſhould bruiſe the ſerpents head, hath in his owne determined time fulfilled the ſame, by ſending his ſonne. We beleeue and know it, that not one iote of the Lordes promiſe hath failed, but doth your doctrine yeeld any confirmation of it? Nay verily, but doth vtterly ouerthrow it, and make the Lord of truth to hauehave falſified his word. The Lord hath promiſed by ſending his ſonne fully to ſubdue and vanquiſh Satan: your doctrine doth teach vsus, that Chriſt by his death hath onelyonly made an end of poſſeſsions and diſpoſſeſsions of diuels, that is, that he hath only deliuered Demoniaks ſuch as were actually tormented in their bodies by the Diuels. What? Are all the Elect Demoniakes? HaueHave you not taught vsus. that Poſſeſsions were very rare before Chriſts time, and that it was verie probable there were none at all in Iſrael, till a little before his comming, and none after the Apoſtles? Are only then theſe men deliuered by Chriſts death? You hauehave quit the Lord indeed wel of his promiſe. He promiſed the breaking of Satans head, you make that Chriſt hath ſcarce pulled one lock of haire frō his head. He promiſed deliuerance for al his elect, you reſtrain this deliuerance only to m enactually poſſeſt with diuells. He promiſed vsus a gift… as i… were of an hundreth thouſand talents: you make him to hauehave ſatisfied his promiſe in beſtowīg vponupon vsus an hūdreth pence. Do men ſatisfy bondes in ſuch manner▪ Doth a Creditor▪ to whome is owing a thouſand pound, hold himſelfe contented in receauing two or thre ſhillinges. …ye vponupon your comfort: you are miſerable comforters: But this determination▪ you ſay, of Satans Actuall poſſeſſion may confirme faith and hope for the vtter ſubuerſion of the whole kingdom of darknes. I anſwer, you ly falſly, if your doctrine be true. For hope can expect no more then faith doth preſently imbrace, but by your teaching, faith doth not imbrace a ful vanguiſhing of ſatans kingdome by Chriſts death▪ but onelyonly an end of Actual poſſeſſions (which neither was accompliſhed, as hath bene ſhewed) and therfore hope cannot looke for any further ſubuerſion of Satans kingdome then is alredie. Now let the godly iudge what lyeth hiden in your doctrine, whether they be things to be tolerated, and cooly dealt in or no: or rather of ſuch nature, that if you will not reclaime them, all louers of the truth ought to ſpit in your faces in deteſtation of your errours. So likewiſe when you ſpeak of God his al ſufficiencie, of Chriſts triumph, and of the Diuels captiuitie, who ſo euer truſts to your doctrine in theſe poynts, ſhall perceaue he leanes vponupon a ſtaffe of reede, which when hee ſhall ſtand in neede of it will brea…e a ſunder▪ and run through his body, as may ſufficiently be ſeene by this little, that I hauehave nowe remembred, as alſo by that hath beene more fully declared, in Suruey of your Sixt Dialogue. your vſes then are wretched, and therefore I leaue them.
The proper vſe that can be made of your doctrine is, that Chriſtians ſhould now ſhew their wiſedome in practiſing that rule our Sauiour Chriſt hath taught them, namely this, beware of ſalſe prophets which come to you in ſheepes clothing, but inwardly they are rauening Math. 7. 15wolues. Thou haſt ſeene in this book of theirs, good Reader, theſe men profeſſing themſelues, The Lord his vnworthiest on earth: In the ſubſcription to three of thei… Epiſtles.when they beginne their diſputations, to begin the ſame with prayer, recreating themſelues with ſinging of pſalmes: to wiſh the Reuerend brethren if they hauehave faulted either in matter or mannerto confute them and spare not, withall deſiring the bleſſing of God to light on their hearts for their labour that way: to hauehave vſed many wordes of Dial. Diſcou pag. 7…. 262. Epiſt. Dedi. Anſ.goodly pretence, of great obedience to the magiſtrate, of great care of their brethrens good, of great ſynceritie in calling eueryevery thing to the triall of the Scripture, and many ſuch other faire ſhewes. On the other ſide thou may ſt ſee by▪ this Suruey and Reply what abundance of vile and groſſe errors is packed vp in theſe their treatiſes, What litle conſcience they make of god his truth▪ Of lying & ſlandering, how exceedingly they hauehave trifled in ech ſeuerall poynt, and now by theſe vſes how all tendes to this, to deſcredit God his truth in fulfilling his promiſe, to impeach his ſufficiency for van quiſhing of fatan, to reſtrain Chriſts triumph to a thing of nothing, to limit Satans captiuitie with looſing of a skonſe, and ſuch like: which thinges beeing thus, now it will ſhortly and eaſily more appeare, whither theſe men be falſe prophets, or no▪ Fo… if they ſhal recant themſelues of their errours, and as they hauehave giuen publike ſcandall to the Church, in labouring to draw men after their fancies, ſo againe in ſubmiſſion to the truth, diſclame all ſuch opinio n diſſonant from the ſacred word, throwing the firſt ſ…one at themſelues, to the end all other may beware of them, then they ſhall be manif eſted to hauehave ſhipped but of infirmi…ie, and to be ſuch indeed, as they would ſeeme. Otherwiſe if they will ſtill maintaine & defend them, then thou …eeſt good reader, theſe mens ſheepes clothing, and how for thy ſake I hauehave pulled it ouer their eares, whe…by thou ma…eſt behold them to be inwardly rauening woules: if they be to be iudged wolues, not only which rent the mē bers of our bodies in ſunder, but alſo & much more they, which by infecting men with peſtiferous opinions, deliuer thē to ſaran to be torne in peeces both bodies and ſoules▪ In this caſe it will behooue the Chriſtian Magiſtrate, both Ciuill & Eccleſiaſticall▪ to take order, that ſuch cruel deucuring beaſts may be driuen from Chriſts fold: & that they would conſider, that they make not diſſenſions & ſcandales contrary to the doctrine we hauehave learned, which ſtand for the truth, but they which oppugne the truth. It is the rebell that makes ciuil war: the faithful ſubiects wepons are not agaīſt the peace but for the peace, neither is it the dog barkīg in the night, that diſquiets the ſhepheardes, but the Wolues approching: the kepers ſtirring is to be commended, & the theues aſſaulting he is to be defended. This vſe then the Magiſtrate is to make of your doctrine: generally all the Chriſtians of this land, are to take it as a watchword to auoyd you as Scorpions, that they may know you to be men▪ …hil. 3. 19. …. Tim. 3. 5. …ud. 16.which hauehave made your bellies your god, & to glory in your ſhame: which hauehave a forme of godlynes & hauehave denied the power of it, whoſe mouthes ſpeake proude things, hauing the perſons of men in admiration for aduantage ſake. Theſe manner of men are fortold ſhould come in theſe laſt dayes, & our Church doth already feele it by lamentable experience. If thou ſhalt make this vſe, Chriſtian reader …. Cor. 11. 19of their booke it ſhall not bee altogether vnprofitable for thee. For It muſt needes be that hereſies ſhould come, that they which are approued amongst vsus may be knowne. The Lord therefore ſtrengthen vsus▪ſo many as be of this number, to ſtand for his truth, and giuegive, vsus wiſe dome to diſcerne thoſe which would craftily vndermine it, that all ſuch wicked workers beeing defeated, wee may conſtantly walke in the puritie of it, till the day of our Lorde Ieſus Chriſt, to whom, with the father and the holy Spirit be all honour and praiſe for euer.
Amen.
FINIS